Study Shows Promise of Green Jobs' Growth

A recent study by the Brookings Institute found that the growth of green jobs may have accelerated despite a global recession, according to a Huffington Post article.

Some green jobs grew twice as fast as the rest of the economy; this group ranged from wind and solar energy to smart grid and professional energy services.

Some of the findings from the report Sizing the Clean Economy: A National and Regional Green Jobs Assessment  by the Brookings Institute include:

• While the clean economy grew more slowly than the national economy between 2003 and 2010, newer “cleantech” segments had explosive growth and outperformed the nation during the recession.
• The clean economy offers more opportunities and better pay for low and middle-skilled workers than the national economy; median wages in the clean economy are 13 percent higher than U.S. median wages.
• Clustering of similar businesses boosts growth performance in the clean economy. One example is  clustering of wind energy businesses in Chicago.

For those seeking a local green job, The Green Economy Center of Northeastern Illinois website offers a Green Jobs board.